Like any workplace, the fashion industry thrives on relationships.
The way you work with those around you, will greatly affect and influence your ability to forge ahead. Build your relationships early. Make yourself known.
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So, you want to work in the fashion industry? You’ve got so many design ideas, a sketchpad full of drawings. And they’re great, you know it. Maybe you’re already entrenched in the industry and you have a long-held desire to start your own label, but you feel stuck, you don’t know how to move on. What is the next step? How do you start your label? How do you break into this exciting-sounding career? How you can get yourself to the cutting edge of fashion? How can you negotiate with manufacturers to get them see how your designs are worth it?
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Last week I headed to the International Sourcing Fair in Melbourne. It was my first time attending in Melbourne. The expo is always on at a particularly busy time of year so I have not managed to make it there previously.
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It has again been so long since my last blog, sorry. As a perfectionist I am waiting for the right thing to write instead of the latest question I have been asked. As always these blogs are developed as little messages to you, based on what we have seen in our work room and what we have explained to our customers to make their life easier and help them understand a small sections of the technical side of the industry.
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Today I stumbled upon a website called 16personalities.com – a free personality test. It does not take very long and was very accurate. I would have been more surprised by this had it not been for the fact it was not my first personality test. I don’t binge on personality tests but I love it when I come across one that opens my eyes.
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I know I am in a pretty lucky position. I get to meet hundreds of amazing creative business owners with a wide variety of work history and skills. Every now and then a client comes to us for an initial meeting and they have a skill from a previous ‘life’ that I don’t have, and so I ask away. Today was one such meeting.
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This morning I have woken up to the controversy about fit models/receptionists roles within our industry. I believe that ignorance in many areas of life is caused by lack of education, so today it is my aim to provide some education, not only to those outside of the fashion industry, but also to those clients we work with every day, on the importance of fit models.
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I often talk on this blog about issues that start-ups encounter. Mainly because they are many and varied and a new issue arises each week. Today I would like to talk to you about another key group of customers that often call us in absolute panic and with an urgent, very problem. Quite often this customer has been in business for 5-10 yrs.
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I had a new client come in the other day. They have a very successful business in home wares and now are looking to branch out into clothing. With a brief stint a few years ago in fashion they came to me with the need for patterns but no need for specs. They said their manufacturer would do this.
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With over 4000 suppliers attending, to say that my feet are sore and my head is spinning is an understatement. If you have attended Canton Fair you will know what I mean. If you have not then I hope this post and some future posts might give you some idea of what is involved.
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The fashion industry is always changing. Trends in how to design and manufacturer a product change just as often as hem lines. One of the biggest changes I have seen in the last year is that a lot of traditional developers/retailers have started to design. Now this may sounds a bit strange but what I mean by this is, in the past designers have often travelled overseas and purchased samples, come back and designed ‘based’ on these styles.
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Whether you are manufacturing locally or offshore there are some consistant pieces of information that are needed so a pattern maker can accuratly translate the picture you are drawn with the picture in your mind. Although we work mainly from sketches, discussions and inspiration images, key measurement points are also something to include in your design brief.
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I have just come back from a morning bike ride. I have just started riding with a group of wonderful girls with Breeze on the Boulie. A new years resolution to move a bit more.
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We have met a number of new designers the last season who have fallen into this trap. It is so sad to hear the stories of someone who has put $10,000 of their heart, soul and cold hard cash into their passion only to receive a shipment of disaster.
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There is a lot of press at the moment about the big International retailers coming to town to take everyone’s retail dollar and shut down every local small label that ever dared to think yeah I could survive in our market. Well, I’ve had enough of this… There are a few points of view I think need to be told.
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Firstly, I would like to say that I am sorry for the long spaces of time between blogs lately. We have been very busy at Sample Room. We have also been caught up in the employment process, looking for a new pattern maker for our team. It has been long and drawn out process, with a false start.
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A few months ago you may have received a post from me about Pre-production samples. In the past few weeks it has come to light that this subject may need to be expanded upon.
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I’m not sure if you guys know this but I am a very keen snowboarder. For anyone who knows anything about the snow we get here in Australia compared to the overseas snowfields, we don’t get a very good deal.
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I am not sure if many of you know but I am a Saturday 7am Lycra clad, Beach Rd cyclist. I love it because it de-stresses me and I also get the chance to ride down the Paris end of Collins St while everyone sleeps.
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This week we met with a lovely lady, Jessica who is a fabric agent for a range or amazing men’s suiting fabrics. These fabrics are some of the finest in the world famed for dressing the likes of Prince Charles. As a long time fabric collector just touching these supper fine wool and silk/linen fabrics made my go all gooey inside. At $300 a meter it is not something I am likely to work with on a regular basis.
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